Nancy Salgado, who has worked at a Chicago McDonald's for 10 years and makes $8.25 an hour, asked the McResource representative a number of questions related to getting assistance to pay for her heating bill, her groceries and her sister's medical expenses. Salgado told the representative that she was recording the call for her sister.

The helpline operator never asked Salgado how much she made per hour, and how many hours per week she worked beyond the fact that she was a full-time employee. But she said that Salgado "definitely should be able to qualify for both food stamps and heating assistance."

The representative then pointed her toward a number of resources in Chicago, such as food pantries and a program that would help cover some of her heating bill. She said she would email her specific phone numbers and programs.

The operator also explained that the McResource line is available to help McDonald's workers who need help navigating the process of getting public assistance. The helpline's phone number is posted in fliers at many McDonald's locations.

No, it is semantics. Let's demonize the full time workers that rely on welfare to survive while working full time and ignore the real issue of the wealth redistribution from tax payers to McD's and WalMart BCUZ 'MURICA.

I think it's hilarious that you think they would keep their pay structure if we didn't have food stamps, medicaid, etc for their workers especially considering that McDonalds has different pay structures in the different countries that it operates in.

Well, first, no one is demonizing anyone. Secondly, salary isn't decided by worker's need-it's decided by how much the employer is willing to pay and whether they can get someone to do the job at that pay. Third, you asked if the employers could keep their current pay scale. Not if they should.

Ok then. I make the argument that McDonald's is paying 30% in corporate taxes to support these entitlement programs, so the argument that they are freeloading off entitlement programs is without merit.

OK. In my crappy little agricultural area there are a lot of minimum wage jobs. I'd say that a lot of them are fast food, or food service. Just down the road there are one bedroom apartments for $500 a month. I could actually live off of that if I had to.

Well, first, no one is demonizing anyone. Secondly, salary isn't decided by worker's need-it's decided by how much the employer is willing to pay and whether they can get someone to do the job at that pay. Third, you asked if the employers could keep their current pay scale. Not if they should.

Do you think people would take the job in a country where they weren't paying enough to at least eat and have shelter due to a lack of social programs?

And because I know you will say yes, do you think they would be able to prevent theft and keep a sufficient work force?

Let me do a little math here. The current minimum wage for California is $8 an hour (although it is going up soon). Say you work 80 hours a check. That's $640. How much would you estimate that this person gets to take home?

First, maybe we could demonstrate how many people are living in single income households with McDonald's being the one income.

Since the argument is "McDonalds is causing people to not be able to support their households because of their wages.", how many people have standing to make that charge?

Ok then. I make the argument that McDonald's is paying 30% in corporate taxes to support these entitlement programs, so the argument that they are freeloading off entitlement programs is without merit.

You don't know that they are paying a 30% tax rate in the US. They don't break out tax rate by country in their financial statements and McDonalds operates in a lot of higher than US tax jurisdictions. That is their tax rate across the globe. In some countries it will be higher and in some it will be lower.

OK. In my crappy little agricultural area there are a lot of minimum wage jobs. I'd say that a lot of them are fast food, or food service. Just down the road there are one bedroom apartments for $500 a month. I could actually live off of that if I had to.

Good for you. What if you got someone pregnant and then had to feed a child as well? What if your piece of shit car broke down? What if there was a heat wave or a spike in inflation and you electricity bill was elevated for 3 months.